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We’re hearing that every major bridge in the Tampa Bay region is expected to close to vehicle traffic by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Transportation advises that the three major bridges, external which connect Tampa to St Petersburg and Clearwater areas will shut.

The bridges close when waves lap onto the road, creating a deadly hazard. Another heavily-used bridge closes when winds top 45 mph (72km/h).

At the moment, all drawbridges in the area are in the down position.

“The bridges will be closed to marine vessel traffic once lockdowns are complete and will remain closed for the duration of severe weather and until the drawbridges and waterways can be assessed for damages,” the state’s department of transportation posted on Facebook.

Milton causes flooding in Mexico as it barrels toward Florida

Milton brushed past the northern end of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early on Tuesday as it worked its way towards Florida.

Video shows coastal flooding and people wading through water on streets and even using boats.

Strong winds have also knocked over trees, causing power outages.

However, most of the damage has been described as minor, and it appears that no larger structures have been destroyed.

A look at the latest Milton developments

With Hurricane Milton being re-upgraded to a category five storm and Floridians choosing whether to evacuate or stay in their homes, here’s a look at where things stand:

• Milton has cycled through varying degrees of severity over the last 48 hours but earlier regained its category five status with sustained wind speeds at roughly 165mph (270km/h)
• In multiple counties, school districts have closed, businesses have shut down, and evacuation orders have gone into effect – Disney World announced it would close its Florida theme parks tomorrow
• Weather officials said people should expect the storm’s track to vary, but that it still “has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida” when it makes landfall on Wednesday night
• The effects of Milton have already been felt in Mexico as the storm brushed past the northern end of the Yucatan Peninsula, bringing coastal flooding and strong winds that downed power lines and trees
• Hundreds of flights to and from Florida have been cancelled, including 346 flights coming into and out of Tampa on Tuesday and another 378 on Wednesday; In Orlando, a total of 781 flights have been cancelled
• Meanwhile, the US government’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it has 20 million meals and 40 million litres of water ready to deploy